Saturday, May 14, 2011

Goodbyes and Hellos

This week we said "Goodbye" to Frankfurt. He didn't make it to butchering day. He died of unknown causes on Thursday. It was very warm and humid (something we all aren't used to yet this year here in chilly damp Wisconsin) and his little heart and big body probably couldn't take it. He most likely died of a heart attack. We buried him instead of taking a chance eating him since we didn't know how long he had been dead. Better safe than sorry. Then today we said goodbye to Bubbles and Brenda. I was at work but Scott said the butchering went well. They are now in the refrigerator and freezer and ended up being 5.5 and 5 pound birds. Can you say "Sunday chicken dinner"?

Thankfully, I have no graphic in between pictues.

The little chicks are 4 weeks old now and were getting too big for the tank in the basement and I was ready for them to be out of the house. So let the integration begin... We brought a few out on Thursday when it was warm just to see how the bigger ones (8 weeks old) would react. They pretty much kept to themselves but they seemed to tolerate each other pretty well. Then today after the Cornishs were butchered we brought out all the chicks to say "Hello" again and introduce them to their permanent home. Again out in the run they keep to themselves.

But inside the coop was a little different. The bigger chickens did do some pecking at the little ones but nothing too dramatic. To give the little ones some sense of security I gave them a little makeshift wire cage that only they can get into with their own water and food at one end. They can get in and out between the water and food and by way of a little doorway at the other end. I've discovered after a few hours alone in the coop that the little ones are climbing and sitting on top of the wire cage and the bigger chickens are calmly sharing the space with them. As I write this, it is dark and I was just out there to close them in for the night. The 3 Amerucaunas are up on the top roosting rail and all the younger chickens are cozy and content in and around their cage. I will sleep good tonight knowing that Day 1 went well.